Monstrous Nature: Environment and Horror on the Big Screen

by Robin L. Murray

Godzilla, a traditional natural monster and representation of cinema’s subgenre of natural attack, also provides a cautionary symbol of the dangerous consequences of mistreating the natural world—monstrous nature on the attack. Horror films such as Godzilla invite an exploration of the complexities of a monstrous nature that humanity both creates and embodies.

Robin L. Murray and Joseph K. Heumann demonstrate how the horror film and its offshoots can often be understood in relation to a monstrous nature that has evolved either deliberately or by accident and that generates fear in humanity as both character and audience. This connection between fear and the natural world opens up possibilities for ecocritical readings often missing from research on monstrous nature, the environment, and the horror film.

Organized in relation to four recurring environmental themes in films that construct nature as a monster—anthropomorphism, human ecology, evolution, and gendered landscapes—the authors apply ecocritical perspectives to reveal the multiple ways nature is constructed as monstrous or in which the natural world itself constructs monsters. This interdisciplinary approach to film studies fuses cultural, theological, and scientific critiques to explore when and why nature becomes monstrous. 



 

Genres: Nonfiction, Film, Horror

270 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2016

Reviews

[Peter]

Having a look at that cover I expected a fireworks of illustrations and movie stills inside. Well, the author made a different approach. In carefully researched chapters he talks about Godzilla, nature as monster, the big bug movie, cockroach nature, human ecology and the horror film, vampires, zombie evolution, eco horror, parasite evolution, gender landscape and monstrous bodies, the Wendigo, American Mary and body modification. The book is rather academic but very intriguing when you're into it. You'll also get some movie stills and a filmography at the end. Really recommended for every horror fan who wants to have more psychological background on monsters.

[Lauren Barnett]

Does what it says on the cover - so you'll know if it's for you without needing a review.

[kacie]

unfortunately much of this book read more like a recounting of movie plots rather than critical analysis

[CharlesS]

A great addition to the series of books that Murray and Heumann are producing on cinema and ecology. This one takes nature as monstrous in directions at once creative and disturbing.